Overview

Dead end water mains are often found at the end of cul-de-sac streets and older neighborhoods.  Dead end water mains do not provide enough flow to keep water fresh and chlorine levels present.  Due to this fact, water distribution crew has a preventative maintenance cycle set up for flushing dead end water mains to ensure high water quality and acceptable chlorine residual.

As a result of sedimentation, stagnant water, and low levels of chlorine, our staff attempts to flush all dead end mains at least once a year.  As staff flushes these main lines they record the beginning chlorine residual, ending chlorine residual, and estimated gallons flushed to help us figure out which dead end mains need to be flushed most often.  All dead end mains are not equal; some have higher usage which helps keep water fresher over time.  These dead end mains may not need to be flushed as often as a large main line feeding a cul-de-sac with very few homes on it.  Due to the variability in this process it is essential that our staff keep accurate records so we can prioritize our work and maintain water quality across the system.